Behind the Facade
by Pokepal Karai Natsume
Summary: Itsuki Koizumi, mysterious transfer student and Esper. He'll smile and go along with almost anything, no questions asked. What is he Really like though? How does he really feel about everything? Kyon has finally gotten fed up with Koizumi's facade and demands answers.


**Disclaimer: I do not in any way own anything in the Haruhi Suzumiya series nor do I claim to. So please don't sue me. **

**Author's Note: I have no idea if something like this has happened in the books before or not, so let's just base this in the anime universe. I've only read up to book 6 in the novels. At the time of writing I think 7 is the most recent one that's been published in English, but I don't have it yet. Anyways. I just got to thinking, well… what if an exchange like this actually happened at some point? I'd like to see more of how Koizumi thinks really… but Kyon doesn't seem to care enough about him to describe much of what he does. **

**- Told from Kyon's point of view-**

There comes a time in every man's life when he's just plain fed up with the way things are. In the case of resident maniac Haruhi Suzumiya, this happened along time ago. I don't know how I've managed to deal with that itself for so long. Someone needs to fork over a medal already. Seriously. I think I deserve it.

Much as I'd like to call Haruhi the problem right now, she isn't. What's bothering me, what's been bothering me since the beginning, is her 'yes man'. The one person who would follow her off the edge of a bridge if he asked her to. Itsuki Koizumi.

It's all too obvious that he isn't really who he appears to be on the outside. Why should I give a damn who he really is? Then I got to thinking. He's also deceiving Haruhi. For good reason I guess. He might really be the kind of person she gets pissed off easily at, like me. Still, there are times when those little curious pangs that make me wonder who he really is get to me.

So one day, I cornered him after school.

" Koizumi."

" Yes? What did you need?" He gave me his cheerful smile.

" Who are you?"

"Hm?" He tilted his head sideways feigning ignorance. "Whatever do you mean?"

I pressed forward. " You know exactly what I mean. You haven't been straight with any of us since you showed up Koizumi. Now I want answers. Just how do you feel about all this? About the SOS Brigade? What Haruhi makes you do? You only follow her orders so obediently so she won't get angry. If you didn't have to worry about it how the hell would you fell? Tell me. I've been pretty damned honest with you since all this started. Now it's your turn."

He tried to avoid my question. He stood and walked a couple of steps forward, bringing him out of the shade of the tree we had been sitting under. " No getting past you, is there Kyon?" He shook his head. " Well. Of course not. You could easily tell that I've been putting up a front. Though not entirely. The me that you know is still the me that I have always been."

I stood up and walked over to stand in front of him. " That doesn't answer me. I want to know what you really think of these situations. Even if your mannerisms and personality aren't an act, I want your opinion."

" That isn't of any importance." He looked to the ground. " It would only make things hard. As long as I follow what Suzumiya says without complaint things are easier on all of us. Even you. There is no reason to wonder about my real reactions to certain events."

I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. " Dammit Koizumi you're a person! Start acting like one!"

He looked at me in surprise as I released him. A rare event to see him lose his smile.

He took a step back and stared at the ground for a while. Then he slowly walked forward and sat against the tree again. " You can't tell Suzumiya."

Wouldn't think of it. The more she doesn't know the better.

He nodded slightly. " Alright then." He sighed deeply. " You wanted my actual opinion?"

I nodded, taking a seat next to him.

" It's been three years Kyon."

" You mean since the Haruhi thing?" They were always going on about how three years ago is when Haruhi first started making changes to the world or something like that.

" Sort of, though I'm not referring to Suzumiya herself. It has been three years since I first became an esper."

Ah.

He nodded. " At first I didn't know what was going on. I thought I might have been going crazy. I think I have mentioned that much to you before."

Had he? Maybe. I might not have been paying too much attention to him at the time. For now I'll just nod and get the memory straight later.

" Then the 'Agency' found me. I learned more about my abilities, and the new role I had been given to play. At the time I grew to hate it. I hated it with every fiber of my being. After a while, truly, I wished that there would finally be no more closed space. That all of it would just end."

The time Koizumi had taken me into closed space with him flashed in my mind. He hadn't acted like turning into a bright red ball and taking down that giant monster had really affected him. It seemed easy. Though having to do that constantly would be tiring. Who knew what other chaos Haruhi had been causing in middle school. Koizumi might have had three times as many closed spaces to deal with than now. Apparently with me around to calm Haruhi down, those spaces appear less frequently.

"And then," Koizumi went on. " By order of the 'Agency', I transferred to North High. I was told to observe Suzumiya from a distance. I thought the assignment would be easy. You can imagine the surprise I felt when Suzumiya actually came up and spoke to me. I had not been expecting it. You can guess what happened next. I wound up in the SOS Brigade."

" So what's your opinion on it?" I didn't ask for your life story. My question is how you feel now. Not how you felt before.

" How I felt before is important, as it is very contrasting to how I feel now."

In what way?

" I hated Suzumiya before all of this Kyon. I had to fight those monsters of hers in closed space for three years. It certainly made her seem like the bad guy, even though she was not producing those things intentionally. Having esper powers seemed exciting at first. Then it just became a bother. A nuisance. Having my old life back would have overjoyed me.

" I began to see things differently once I became an SOS Brigade member. Suzumiya is truly a good person. I felt bad for loathing her for so long. It actually seemed silly. I laughed at myself for it. The kind of person Suzumiya is… they don't come along too often. Maybe once in a life time if one is lucky."

I wanted to come up with some contradictory retort, but I couldn't. I'd admitted to myself a while back that even if Haruhi was psycho, she still knew how to have fun. She took fun to whole new levels that most people would never even think of. I would be struck stunned until the end of time if I was to ever meet another person like her in this lifetime.

" I like being in the SOS Brigade. The trouble Suzumiya causes is still bothersome at times, however, there is something more now."

And that would be?…

" Everyone else. Suzumiya, Nagato, Asahina, and yourself. As individuals, I enjoy the company. My job is less of an irritant now. It's actually quite exciting." His smile suddenly returned. " Of course, it wouldn't do any good to show Suzumiya a worried look when I feel that way. I even think that smiling makes Asahina a little less anxious, don't you?"

I guess so. Wait. Why did you bring Asahina up? Are you suddenly paying special attention to her?

He chuckled a little. " No, no. Not at all. I just thought it was worth mentioning. You should try smiling sometimes Kyon. It might suit you. Especially around the girls."

I might try that. Might. And if it doesn't work I'm blaming you Koizumi.

" Well, does that answer satisfy you?"

I shrugged. " Well, if that's the truth it's probably the most I'll get out of you. So yes. For now it does."

" You think I'm lying?" His voice held a hint of disbelief.

If I made a chart of the most trustworthy SOS Brigade members, Koizumi, your name would be on the very bottom.

" I see. That is understandable." He still had his smile donned as he stood. " Well then. I'll see you tomorrow Kyon."

I put a hand up. " Bye." He nodded and walked away. I watched him until I could not longer see him. It was hard to believe he'd ever hated Haruhi. I didn't particularly like her at first, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that I outright hated her. Still, with what he's had to go through I can understand it.

I decided then that it was time that I started getting home too. I had only taken four steps when Haruhi suddenly came bounding up to me from nowhere. " Kyon!" She yelled, sounding a little breathless. " Did a girl from our class ask you out?"

What? Where was this coming from?

" No?…."

" Good! Cuz I heard from a couple of people that one was going to!" She then did something that left me feeling numb with confusion. She hugged me tightly and murmured into my school uniform. " You're mine Kyon. You'll only marry me, got it?!"

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*

I slowly opened my eyes. A dream? How curious.

I reached over and turned off my alarm clock.

Perhaps he's right. If I acted a little more like myself… maybe. Just maybe there could have been a chance. If I had even given her a chance… just a little bit sooner….

I took the framed picture of Suzumiya in my arms and hugged it close. The 'Agency' had given it to me long ago so that I would be able to identify the girl if I ever saw her. Each member had one. Mine used to reside in an old drawer. Ever since I transferred to North High it has been right here on my nightstand.

Suzumiya's smile in the photograph appears to be forced. Just like mine. However it still brings me just a little bit of joy to see it before I go to sleep at night.

Later on, after school and SOS Brigade events, I got Kyon's attention. Both of us were outside and about to head home.

" What do you want?"

" You haven't wanted to talk to me about anything recently, have you?"

" No. Not really."

Okay then. " I see. Thank you for your answer."

I walked a ways head of him before turning back and dropping my smile. " I'm fine with it. All of it. Really."

He just stared at me in confusion. I responded by smiling brightly once again and waving goodbye.

Then I went home.


End file.
